How the smartest fundraisers are preparing for 2026 success

The most successful fundraisers aren’t waiting for January to plan. They’re already laying the groundwork for a stronger 2026.

After a year of change and uncertainty, many are asking: what worked in 2025, and what needs to shift as we head into a new fundraising landscape? How can teams cultivate loyal donor relationships and still hit higher goals in the year ahead?

Watch Patrick Schmitt, co-CEO of FreeWill, in conversation with a standout panel of fundraising leaders:

• Erin Chrest, Senior Managing Director of Major & Planned Giving at Maryland Public Television, who oversees ongoing campaigns in addition to managing grants, annual leadership giving, and planned giving.
• Kalisha Colbert, Planned Giving Manager at Maryland Public Television, with 15 years of nonprofit experience, she helps MPT donors create meaningful legacies that sustain public media for generations.
• Emily Ballard, Fund Development Director at Single MOMM, has spent more than a decade serving in both faith-based and secular nonprofit organizations and oversees $1.8 million in annual fundraising to empower single moms and their families.‍
• Cheyenne Wolf, Development Coordinator at the Dravet Syndrome Foundation, who supports nationwide fundraising initiatives to accelerate research and deliver critical resources to families affected by Dravet syndrome.

Together, they share their biggest lessons from 2025 and the strategies they’re implementing now to raise more in 2026.